The healthy scratch in Canada's first game led the playoffs with 87 hits in 19 games for the Florida Panthers last year.
The healthy scratch in Canada's first game led the playoffs with 87 hits in 19 games for the Florida Panthers last year.
Somewhere, Sam Bennett must have been smiling. And perhaps taking a long, deep whiff of some smelling salts.
Led by the Tkachuk brothers, who combined for four goals and 10 hits, Team USA delivered 32 hits in a 6-1 blowout over Finland at the 4 Nations Face-Off on Thursday. That was exactly double the amount that Finland managed, and it was 12 more than what Canada delivered against Sweden the night before.
Which raises the question: can Canada continue to play a skilled game when they face USA on Saturday? Or will they have to match the Americans hit for hit to secure victory?
In other words, does Canada need Bennett to go from being a healthy scratch to a shift-disturbing winger?
“I knew there was a chance I wouldn’t be in,” Bennett told reporters after being a healthy scratch against Sweden. “All I can do is control what I can control, and that’s just to be ready and support the guys. If I do get the call, I’ll be ready to go.”
Bennett only has 18 goals and 35 points in 55 games for the Florida Panthers this season. But the reason he made this team ahead of arguably more talented players, such as Mark Scheifele, John Tavares and countless others, was his grit. And also because of the Americans.
There are 42 Canadian forwards with more points than Bennett. But only 18 of them have delivered as many bodychecks as him.
Call him a pest if you like. Bennett, who could be the long-lost brother of Matthew and Brady Tkachuk, doesn’t seem to care. He knows what his role is: finish checks, get in opponents' faces and draw penalties.
It’s a very Canadian type of playing style. Or rather, it used to be.
These days, with a roster that includes Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon and Mitch Marner, Canada has never had as much skilled depth as they have at this tournament.
That skill was obviously on display against Sweden. But when Canada plays the Americans, the ice will shrink, and the physicality will ramp up — especially now that Matthew and Brady Tkachuk are playing on the same line. Brady had a game-high eight hits against Finland. Against Canada, don’t be surprised if that number doubles.
With that in mind, Canada must match the Americans' physicality if they hope to win. They will need Brad Marchand to embrace his role as the 'Rat,' and for Travis Konecny, Seth Jarvis and Brandon Hagel to play with one foot over the line. And they will need Bennett to do what he did in last year’s Stanley Cup run when he led all players with 87 hits in just 19 games.
After all, when Canada plays USA, it will be anything but another skills competition.
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